I can't drive a stick

[JustinH]

I drive a little saturn ion econobox with a stick.

I prefer the stick in 90 percent of occasions.

Nothing like being able to throw it in neutral, and watch the engine drop down to 900rpms, and then let the car roll for miles at 900rpm.

I've gotten nearly 40mpg on trips in this thing going downhill.

Can't do that with an automatic.

The only time I don't like the stick is when I'm going up a steep hill in traffic with people behind me, and I'm trying to avoid rolling back.

I haven't perfected the handbrake/clutch/gas trick for going up a steep hill without rolling.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

"I've had MT's since I started driving 31 yeasr ago, and I like it."
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Holy keerap! MarkC has been driving a stick since the age of 1 and a half!

I bought my first stick before I could drive one. The salesman gave me a quick lesson so I could get the car off the lot. LOL

 

[onion]

My favorite manual transmissions to drive are the ones behind a big diesel engine... whether that's in a pickup, semi, tractor, etc. Ease out on the clutch, the governor kicks in... and you don't have to touch the throttle unless you want to. Makes for a difficult transition, though, when I have to drive a light-weight, high-revving 4-cyl.- kinda smells funny...

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I enjoy my automatic while munching on greasy fast food through stop'n go traffic. Also comes in handy while talking on the cell phone, looking at a map, flipping somebody off, screaming at younguns, and clipping nails.

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Eating fast food while driving is a good way to get either:
1) Fat
2) dead

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1. I am.
2. I'm planning on it.

 

[brianl703]

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Nothing like being able to throw it in neutral, and watch the engine drop down to 900rpms, and then let the car roll for miles at 900rpm.

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That's probably illegal in your state. It is in Virginia--a 3 point violation.

Dunno how they'd catch anybody doing it though.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

I believe the law prohibits "coasting". I think that entails turning the engine off. A stick required neutral between all gears, just a question of how long?

 

[blackdiamond]

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With modern automatic that can shift manually, I see no reason for a stick. I love to own a car with paddle shifters unit someday.

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The last I knew, and it was a couple of years back, the fastest times in a Ferrari (355 I think) were actually the manual transmission and not the F1 transmission. The math doesn't work since the auto transmission can shift quicker than human reflexes, but it was/is reality.

Another example was Rod Millen at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. He set the overall record, that still stands, in a manual transmission. The next years he drove the same car with an F1 style transmission and could never match his time. The match said it should have saved over 30 seconds.

Grow up and learn to drive a stick, you never know when you might need to drive one in an emergency.

 

[dhise]

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I haven't perfected the handbrake/clutch/gas trick for going up a steep hill without rolling.

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The hill holder on my subaru has totally spoiled me now. I don't know why they stopped making them with this feature.

-Doug

 

[Bret Chase]

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Oh, as far as manuals transmissions go, once you get used to it you do it without even thinking about it. Same goes for the transmission on a motorcycle.

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When I only had my pickup, I hadn't touched a manual in years... got my 5spd rodeo, never missed a beat.. same thing with my bike.. after a 10+ year hiatus from 2 wheeled toys.. hopped right on and my hands and left foot knew exactly what to do

 

[alreadygone]

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I drive a little saturn ion econobox with a stick.

I prefer the stick in 90 percent of occasions.

Nothing like being able to throw it in neutral, and watch the engine drop down to 900rpms, and then let the car roll for miles at 900rpm.

I've gotten nearly 40mpg on trips in this thing going downhill.

Can't do that with an automatic.

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Why Not?

Still just a matter of placing shifter in neutral.

bob

 

[brianl703]

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I believe the law prohibits "coasting". I think that entails turning the engine off. A stick required neutral between all gears, just a question of how long?

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§ 46.2-811. Coasting prohibited.

The driver of any motor vehicle traveling on a downgrade on any highway shall not coast with the gears of the vehicle in neutral.

(Code 1950, § 46-218; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-200; 1989, c. 727.)

 

[eshishlo]

I would love to see this case in traffic court!!

 

[rpn453]

I think you're usually better off leaving it in gear to let gravity power the engine accessories anyway.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Probably a law about spitting ut the window too. I consider "n" a gear.

 

[ekincam]

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I think you're usually better off leaving it in gear to let gravity power the engine accessories anyway.

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In newer cars, the ECU will cut fuel to the engine when coasting in gear above a certain RPM. On my car, if I leave the car in gear and coast down a hill, the ECU will cut fuel until RPMs drop to about 1100 at which point it starts giving the engine fuel to idle. The wheels are capable of making the engine turn so the ECU is able to cut fuel. This does not happen in an automatic because the torque converter does not allow the wheels to drive the engine.

 

[Junior]

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In newer cars, the ECU will cut fuel to the engine when coasting in gear above a certain RPM. On my car, if I leave the car in gear and coast down a hill, the ECU will cut fuel until RPMs drop to about 1100 at which point it starts giving the engine fuel to idle. The wheels are capable of making the engine turn so the ECU is able to cut fuel. This does not happen in an automatic because the torque converter does not allow the wheels to drive the engine.

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Not completely true. The torque converter will allow some level of engine braking. Grab the shift lever and drop a couple of gears with your foot off the accelerator pedal and see what happens.

Not only that, they do make jake brake kits that keep the torque converter locked up to allow for engine braking on some heavy duty pick-ups.

 

[RD400]

I've been driving some form of tractor, motorcycle, dump truck, or car since the age of about 12 and have never owned an automatic transmission. Even my current bicycle has 20 gears and doesn't have one. Is there a class or instruction available where I could learn to use one, like in case of emergency???

 

[1sttruck]

"I've been driving some form of tractor, motorcycle, dump truck, or car since the age of about 12 and have never owned an automatic transmission."

Is 'RD400' referring to the Yamaha twin ? Best gearbox I've ever used, snicks into gear so easily it's like ESP. The only problem I encountered with it was shift return springs every 20k or so miles.